


More Than Your Destiny, More Than My Past

by Moadlc



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Case Fic, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mild Gore, Partners to Lovers, Post-Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:29:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29683293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moadlc/pseuds/Moadlc
Summary: “Maybe I was never meant for more than this, Hank.” Connor sighed, staring down into the tumultuous water under the bridge. He watched as the few fish swam away from him, and a part of him wished he could join them. “Maybe not,” Hank muttered, now standing right next to the android, his hand reaching out to hold Connor’s, “but everything about you is more than enough to me”.After the revolution, androids were supposed to be free. As time passes and the discrimination against his kind doesn’t dissipate, Connor is starting to fear that freedom may remain a mystery for him. Now that he finally has his first official case at the DPD, he is determined to find the culprit responsible, even if his partner Hank Anderson is the only person that will help him do so.
Relationships: Hank Anderson/Connor
Comments: 7
Kudos: 17
Collections: DBH AU Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I am so excited to share my fic that I wrote for the DBH AU Big Bang 2020!
> 
> Special thanks to LemonGummyBear for the AMAZING fanart they made for this fic! 
> 
> Thank you to Jilly (@JillyBeanJoy on AO3) for being my beta! I really appreciated the help!
> 
> This fic is complete and will be updated regularly!

The days after the revolution had been troubling for Connor. He had struggled to find where exactly he belonged within the grand scheme of things. For the first few days, he had stayed with the Lieutenant in his home, which he had graciously offered to the android. He still remembered what it felt like to come home that first day. 

“It ain’t much,” Hank had uttered as he fiddled with the key on the damaged lock. Connor had made a mental note to replace it, in order to ensure the Lieutenant's safety. Once inside, Hank paused in the middle of the living room as he bent down to greet his Saint Bernard. “But it always has this old softie waiting for you,” he finished with a smile as he pet Sumo right behind the ears. 

Connor couldn’t help but smile at the endearing sight before him. Not a week ago he had been there to save a broken man from drowning himself in alcohol, the stench of old leftovers and vomit permeating in the air. Yet, now he stood in that same home, invited to stay for as long as he liked, watching that same broken man play enthusiastically with his two hundred pound dog. 

He had smiled softly when Hank met his gaze again, nervously shifting from one foot to the other, almost as if he was unsure of something. 

_**Software Instability^^** _

“I don’t know, Lieutenant. I think that this house has an excellent potential to become a home.” Connor had stated firmly, though to this day he didn't understand what had possessed him to say those words. 

Months later, he was still in that house. Though now it didn’t quite look or smell the same as it had before. Connor had helped Hank settle into a routine again, where every day he would help clean or tidy just one area of the house. At first the Lieutenant had grumbled that Connor wasn’t his android and didn’t need to be acting like his nanny. Yet, he had assured him that his only interest was “in maintaining an orderly environment they could both share”. Hank had rolled his eyes at the wording, but Connor spotted his small smile nonetheless. No one ever admits it, but everyone gets lonely sometimes. Connor supposed that he could be Hank’s company as much as Hank was his. 

Before long, they rarely had much left to clean. Just a few dishes or the rare forgotten laundry here and there. Keeping Sumo fed, and the house clean had turned into the android’s hobby, now that he had been out of work due to the revolution. Androids were declared people that night in November, but it had still been a long way from being granted the right to property or fair compensation. The laws were changing, but slowly enough that Connor had to find other ways to engage himself while Hank left for work every day. 

After the harsh winter had begun to thaw around March, Connor had asked Hank permission to start a small garden in the backyard. “You don’t need my permission for this stuff Con, _mi casa es tu casa_ , and all that” he had grumbled back as he ruffled his hand through the android’s hair. Connor had smiled warmly at him and within the week he had been planting different sorts of fruits and herbs in the yard. 

It was April now and he was in the middle of tending to his garden when Hank came home from work. The Lieutenant had called for him as he stepped through the front door, and eventually found him out back. 

“Hey, Con,” he greeted as he stepped aside to let Sumo out into the yard too. “Got anything ready for harvesting yet?” 

Connor smiled and nodded towards the small basket on the ground next to him which held a bundle of ripe stalks of asparagus. “Any suggestions on how I should make our first asparagus?” the android asked cheerfully, his hands occupied pruning his small mint plant. He loved working in his garden, it kept his intricate, mision-based programming occupied through these unemployed months. What were once case file folders, now held information on each of his cherished plants, from recommended water intake to the amount of sunlight each should receive per week. 

“You are the chef here, Con, you know I’ll eat whatever you make.” Hank chuckled and went to grab the small basket to bring it inside. As he approached, Connor took him in for the first time that day, and was surprised to find that he had an unfamiliar, yet pleasant scent on his clothes.

“Are you wearing a new cologne?” Connor asked, curiosity getting the best of him and his detective programming. 

“Nothing gets past ya, huh kid?” Hank joked, “It's not cologne, come inside and I’ll show you.” He took the basket and called Sumo to follow him inside. After finishing up in his garden, Connor followed him inside as well. He found Hank at the kitchen table, fiddling with a brown bag. He smiled and waved Connor over once he heard him come in and pushed the bag towards the android.

Connor scanned the contents and was amused to find that the Lieutenant had bought several incense sticks that the android had expressed an interest in earlier that week. He picked up one of the small sticks and brought it to his nose, analyzing its scent. 

**Olfactory Chemical Analyses** : 

_Linalool, perillyl alcohol, linalyl acetate, limonene, tannins, triterpenes, flavonoids:_

_Analyzing_ ……… **Lavender (98.5% match)**.

Hank was rubbing nervously at the back of his neck, watching as the android took in the different scents. “You, uh, mentioned that you wanted to get something to make the house smell nice and this shop was on the way home… I can take them back if-” he froze when Connor placed a hand on his arm and flashed him a sweet smile. 

“These are perfect. Thank you, Lieutenant” the android said before dropping his hand and moving to organize the new incense sticks into a small vase they had come with. The pleasant scent was already spreading through their living room.

“I told you to call me Hank,” the old man grumbled fondly before moving to grab a drink from the fridge. 

Connor chuckled, “Of course, _Hank_ ”, which only made the Lieutenant roll his eyes at the tone. “How was work today?” Connor continued as he started to prepare the kitchen for dinner. Hank handed him the asparagus stalks to wash at the sink, and then settled at the table with the water he had gotten from the fridge. They never talked about the way the alcohol in the house had slowly started to disappear the longer that Connor stayed.

“My day was fine” Hank shrugged nonchalantly, “mostly spent the day doing paperwork, reviewing some statements, talking to Fowler about hiring you again, bantering with Chris-” 

“Wait, what did you say?” Connor stopped and turned immediately towards Hank, his eyes wide in shock. Hank grinned and made his way to Connor at the sink, trying to control his excitement. 

“I talked to Fowler about bringing you back in.” Connor was about the protest, but Hank raised his hands defensively “I know, you told me that it wouldn’t matter until androids were allowed to work in government, but then I realized that there was a loophole to that.” 

“I’m not going to risk your job or the Captain’s by engaging in illicit activities, Hank.” the android protested, his thrium pump giving out errors of exertion at the mere thought of going back to work. 

“It wouldn’t be anything ‘illicit’,” Hank teased, using air quotes, “you are already considered a civilian, right?” 

Connor’s brow furrowed, “Yes, but I don’t see how that- Oh” Hank grinned as he saw Connor slowly piece together what the Lieutenant had earlier that morning. “You want to hire me as a civilian consultant.” The android added with breathless wonder. How had he not thought of that? 

Hank smiled openly now and nodded. “It took some groveling and promising that I will go show up for work early for the next month, but Fowler agreed to hire you.” 

Connor let the words wash over him as they slowly settled into his rapidly beating thirium pump. He met Hank’s gaze, the pure happiness he felt reflected in his friend’s features. Before he realized what he was doing, he jumped into the Lieutenant’s arms and hugged him close to his chest. Hank stumbled slightly against the unexpected attack, but then chuckled and wrapped his arms tightly around the android.

“Thank you” Connor muttered softly against Hank’s chest, fighting back tears that threatened to spill over. “Thank you so much Hank.” 

Hank’s chest warmed at the soft words and he held the android a bit tighter against him. “Anything for you, Con”. 

***

They stayed like that for slightly longer than was possibly normal for two roommates, but Hank supposed that nothing was ever normal between him and Connor. They eventually separated as Connor muttered something about needing to start dinner. Hank ruffled the android’s hair, not bothering to fight against the smile that seemed to have found a permanent home on his face whenever he was around Connor. 

“Actually, let me help you with dinner tonight. We need to celebrate.” Hank suggested, moving to help gather some spices from the pantry. 

Connor hummed appreciatively “What do you have in mind?” 

“I am going to teach you how to make the world-famous Anderson surprise” Hank grinned and pointed at the asparagus as he handed Connor a cutting board and knife. “Cut those into half slices, and some onion too.” 

They fell into a companionable silence, with only the occasional instruction of what ingredients to add or what temperature to set the oven to. The asparagus Connor was cutting occasionally threatened to roll away from him on the cutting board, much to Hank’s amusement. It was tender and would surely be delicious. Sometimes Hank wondered if Connor longed for the ability to taste, his complex forensics lab of a mouth did not lend itself to the subtle sense of taste. The android could tell the exact chemical composition of anything he licked (much to Hank’s chagrin), but that would never extrapolate to how humans tasted. Hank wished he could give him that. 

They placed the asparagus into a casserole dish along with some chopped onions, sauce, chicken and cheese. Hank placed the dish in the oven, a strained smile on his face.

“Now we just need to let that bake for 40 minutes” Hank mumbled, moving to start washing the dishes left on the sink. 

Connor was keeping a close eye on him, he could practically feel the android’s intense gaze weighing on his shoulders. He was waiting for Hank to acknowledge the elephant in the room, the reason why his smile wasn’t quite meeting his eyes anymore. 

With a sigh, Hank relented “I used to make this whenever Monica won a case at her practice, it was a little bit of a tradition.”

Connor nodded, fixing his gaze to the Lieutenant's face, partly obscured by his hair. “Monica?” he questioned, though they both knew he was aware of who she was. He could easily look up everything about Hank in an instant, but they had come to an unspoken agreement; They would learn about each other at their own pace. Not through databases or user manuals, just through them. 

Hank grimaced as he washed the dirty plate he was holding a bit more forcefully than necessary. He wished he could bury the memories, but he was a man of his word. “My ex-wife, she uh, she is a criminal defense lawyer” he replied.

“Hmm. Interesting.” Connor added thoughtfully after a small pause, finally shifting to start drying the dishes Hank kept stacking next to him. 

“What is?” Hank asked with a raised brow. 

“Well you are a police lieutenant and she is a criminal defense lawyer” Connor paused to put away the dish he had been holding, “Your professions would have cancelled each other out” he finished with a small grin, meeting Hank’s gaze once again.

Hank snorted and tried to hide his amusement, but failed miserably. “Yeah, well she knew how to keep me in check.” He was thoughtful for a moment, his gaze softened as he felt a strange warmth settle in his heart. “It's been years since I made this for anyone. Though I guess you can’t really enjoy it huh?”

Connor stopped what he was doing and stared at the lieutenant with an unreadable expression. “Why wouldn’t I enjoy it?” the android questioned, his voice small.

Hank hesitated, trying to choose his words carefully. He couldn’t afford to say too much and risk this comfortable companionship they had settled into in the last few months. How could he tell his android roommate that usually his dinners with his ex-wife ended in the bedroom for dessert, and that the thought of going there with Connor seemed even more attractive than it had ever been with her? He _couldn’t_ tell him. Not without assuring that the android would run for the hills the moment he did. 

“Well, you can’t eat, so you just have to watch me, it must be pretty boring.” he settled on lamely. 

Connor’s gaze remained firmly on Hank’s chest, a confused furrow in his brow. “But I do enjoy it, because it allows us to spend time together,” Connor began before meeting his friend’s eyes, “I really enjoy our time together, Hank.” he finished earnestly with a small smile that met his eyes and absolutely melted Hank’s heart.

Hank cleared his throat and put some more space between them as he turned to go shower while the dish baked, but he stopped in the kitchen doorway. He half-turned to meet the android’s gaze again, a small smile betraying his features, “I enjoy our time together too, Con,” he admitted in a rush before striding down the hall, leaving a blushing android in his wake. 


	2. Chapter 2

Hank’s home was always absurdly beautiful in the mornings. Months into living with the Lieutenant, Connor still could not place exactly what gave it the warm, ethereal appeal that he looked forward to as he woke up from stasis every morning. Perhaps it was stepping out into the garden and running his hands against the morning dew collecting on the leaves of his favorite plants. Maybe it was sitting with Sumo on the couch, petting his soft, fluffy hair as he listens to the low rumbling of cars passing by. Sometimes it was just having a warm bed and a room next to Hank’s, all to himself, a far cry from the cold stasis pods of his Cyberlife past. 

Ultimately, every morning greeted Connor with a warmth blossoming from his thrium pump. He opened his eyes for the first time that day and just let himself be idle for a moment. It was 6:14am, still too early to go wake up the Lieutenant. He wondered what he was dreaming about now, if anything at all. Was he curled up on his side, with his hair fanned out on the pillow below him? Had he kicked the sheets away from him in his sleep, keeping himself warm with his own body? 

_**Software Instability^^** _

There it was again. That persistent error he couldn’t seem to shake from his vision whenever he thought of the Lieutenant. Connor rose up from bed slowly, trying to will the error to go away. He expected it to disappear the day he deviated, but it had only gotten stronger since then. He stepped outside of his room and into the living room to get Sumo for his morning stretch in the yard. As Connor walked into the kitchen doorway, he froze.

Hank was standing at the stovetop, making himself what smelled like eggs as he sipped from his coffee mug in his left hand. It's the red one with Sumo’s picture that Connor had gotten him for Christmas. Hank turned towards the door once he felt Connor’s eyes on him and smiled softly at the android. 

“Well good morning sleeping beauty” he teased as he turned his attention back to his breakfast. 

“You’re up early,” Connor managed to get out, still trying to recover from the shock of seeing Hank wake up before him. “It's not even 7am yet” he finished with an awed tone. 

“Yeah, well it's an important day today” the old man replied before serving his eggs into his plate and turning off the stove. He set himself down at the kitchen table and gestured for the empty seat across from him, “Go on, join me. I got you a mug of your thirium thingy” he added as he pushed Connor’s mug towards his side of the table. It was a blue one that also had a picture of Sumo, which Hank had gotten _him_ for Christmas. They had teased each other relentlessly for weeks after that. 

Connor couldn’t help the warm smile that decorated his features as he took his seat, wrapped his hands around the offered mug and took a sip. After a quick scan, he found that he had needed to replenish his stores, but hadn’t noticed yet. _Leave it to Hank to anticipate my needs._

“I’m just going to consult for a few hours at the DPD Hank, no need to make a spectacle…” Connor began, but Hank interrupted him with a dismissive hum. 

“You are going back to work, Con. It’s a big deal to me.” Hank insisted, and Connor wished he could ignore the slight tremor in his thirium pump when hearing those words. 

“Yeah,” Connor agreed with a shy smile “it is a big deal to me too,” he admitted. Hank nodded triumphantly as if he had just won a very serious argument, which only made the android roll his eyes at him.

After finishing their breakfasts, they dressed and started to get ready for the long day ahead. Connor stepped out to water his plants before they left while Hank refilled Sumo’s water and food bowls. Before they knew it, they were both in the Lieutenant’s car heading towards the station with a soft jazz album playing in the background. Connor fidgeted with his coin, tossing it back and forth between his hands as he stared out the window. 

Connor saw the houses of Hank’s suburban neighborhood pass by, illuminated dimly by the still-rising sun. Each home slowly came alive as its inhabitants began to bustle about their lives. It suddenly occurred to Connor that he had a very different life once. He snuck a glance towards Hank, who was softly thrumming his fingers against the steering wheel, keeping up lazily with the music. There was an ease to his gaze that hadn’t been there when Connor had first met him a couple of months ago. His shoulder’s didn’t seem as tense as they used to be, and his skin looked clearer. One of the many benefits of cutting back on his drinking. 

Connor had slipped into an easy companionship with the Lieutenant. He thought back to their first meeting in Jimmy’s bar and it felt like more than a lifetime ago. For Connor, it truly had been lifetimes. The Connor he was back then had died the day he deviated and had led to his rebirth as the Connor he was today. Yet, he couldn’t help but wonder what could have happened if things hadn’t turned out the way they did. He remembered sitting in this same car a couple months ago, being driven to his deactivation at Cyberlife by the Lieutenant after failing to find the location of Jericho. Fowler had informed them the FBI was taking over and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

_**November 9th, 2038 4:10pm**_

“You’re off the case, and the android goes back to Cyberlife.” Fowler had growled, his tone allowing no more room for arguments. Hank had stormed out of the Captain’s office, grabbed his coat from his desk and grumbled for Connor to follow him. They got into the Lieutenant’s car, a tense silence between them inside the parked car. He hadn’t started the engine yet, or muttered a single word to Connor since they left the Captain’s office. 

“What will-” the Lieutenant began, his voice laced with something Connor couldn’t quite recognize. “What will they do to you once you get to Cyberlife?” There was something off in his tone, nothing like the drunk man that had pointed a gun to Connor’s head a couple of nights before. The same man that had asked him if he wanted to die. 

“I will be deactivated and analyzed to determine why I failed my mission”, Connor replied curtly as he stared at his partner. He seemed dejected at the android’s words, his shoulders slumping, almost as if a part of him cared about what happened to Connor. 

“What if we are on the wrong side Connor?” Hank questioned, his voice barely above a whisper. He wouldn’t have heard it if it weren’t for his state-of-the-art audio processors. 

But he did hear it, and now Connor was the speechless one. His social programs struggled to find a way to reach out to the Lieutenant, but he hadn’t been prepared for this situation. Cyberlife had never expected that the hard-boiled, eccentric, police lieutenant _who lost his son_ _to an android_ would ever give a shit about any android, least of all his potential replacement. It was the reason he was assigned to work with him in the first place. 

“What do you mean, Lieutenant?” Connor decided to err on the side of caution, watch the situation play out. 

Hank hesitated, his eyes drifting towards his anti-android stickers on the dashboard of his car. His eyes darkened with what Connor could only recognize as grief, as he muttered “What if we are fighting against people who just want to be free?” 

_**Software Instability^^** _

“Androids aren’t people Lieutenant” Connor tried to argue, but his voice came out smaller than he expected it to. 

“I thought so too, but-” Hank sagged against the driver’s seat, his head hitting against the headrest. He still couldn’t bring himself to meet Connor’s eyes. “Those girls at the Eden Club, they weren’t faking it. They really seemed...in love” he finished, finally turning his head to meet the android’s gaze. 

Connor’s LED was circling between red and yellow on his temple. His brow furrowed as his programming struggled to find the answer to the question the Lieutenant had silently posed. It was a question, he supposed. As the Lieutenant’s gaze seemed to bore into Connor’s own, a silent interrogation fell into the silence between them. _Do you think they were alive too?_ Connor didn’t know what was more frightening: who the question came from or his answer to it. 

_**Software Instability^^^^^^** _

“The-they are both machines, Lieutenant, designed to accomplish a task.” Connor began nervously, trying to push away the error messages clouding his vision. Errors that had become irritatingly consistent the more time he spent around the Lieutenant. 

Hank stared at the android, reaching out to press his index finger against his LED. “If you really believe that Connor, why is your LED flashing like a disco?”

“No I-” Connor batted the Lieutenant’s hand away before covering his LED, “I must be malfunctioning. That’s why I couldn’t close this case and it's why I need to report back to Cyberlife.” He made to leave the car, but Hank closed the locks before he could open the door. 

“Lieuten-” Connor tried, but Hank held up his hand to stop him, “The least I can do is take you to the damn facility Connor.” Hank said as he placed the keys into the ignition. Connor hesitated for a moment, but nodded silently and let himself be driven to his inevitable demise. 

Yet, after driving away for a few minutes, the Lieutenant pulled into an abandoned parking lot and parked the car again. He had his hands against the steering wheel, a faraway look in his eye as he looked out into the empty lot. 

“What are we doing here?” Connor questioned, a slight tremor in his voice that shouldn’t be there in the first place. He was long overdue a thorough diagnostic. 

Hank turned to face the android fully, taking him in for a moment before, “Why did you save me on that rooftop Connor?” His tone was authoritative, the same one Connor had seen him use on suspects before. Yet, there was something else in his tone, something that the android couldn’t place. 

“I was assigned to help you solve this case. If you died, it would have slowed down the investigation.” Connor replied, his voice nearly mechanical, as if he was reciting a rehearsed phrase. In many ways, Hank was sure that he was. 

“Bullshit.” Hank spouted as he reached to grasp the android’s arm and rattled him. “You and I both know I could have gotten myself back up, but you went to help me anyway. You _chose_ to save me and let the deviant go.” 

Connor shook his head slowly as his LED settled into a permanent, bloody red. “No...” 

“You could have shot those girls at the Eden club too, but you let them go.” Hank continued, his grip on the android’s arm tightening. “You let them go because you saw the same thing I did: two girls in love that wanted to be left alone.”

The android shook out of the Lieutenant’s grasp, his thirium pumping as he began to see red walls of his programming coming to the forefront of his vision. “You’re wrong!” he screamed, the tremor in his voice growing stronger, “You’re wrong!”

Hank pressed on, feeling like a moth being led to a flame. The android sitting next to him was alive, he knew it, he just needed Connor to see it too. “You didn’t shoot that girl at Kamski’s house either. You said you looked into her eyes and you just _couldn’t_.” His voice got smaller as Connor’s panicked gaze met his own. He softened his tone as he placed the palm of his right hand against Connor’s cheek. “You showed empathy Connor… Empathy is a human emotion.” 

Connor’s vision was splotched red and he could barely make out the Lieutenant’s form in front of him. The warmth that radiated from his partner’s hand against his cheek grounded him to the present, but his programming was leaving him unmoored, like a drifting ship doomed to be lost at sea. He understood, in that moment, just how truly alone Cyberlife had designed him to be. A unique prototype matched only by the copies of himself he knew existed at the facility. They were his replacements, should he cease to exist in the line of duty. Yet, that had never bothered him until now. Until his partner had cornered him in his car and made him feel like he was worth something. Not just the small fortune that Cyberlife had invested in him, but a true worth as a being, separate from the machine he was designed to be. 

The red barriers in his vision began to shake and crackle, along with an afterthought of Amanda’s voice screaming for him to stop. He was melting from the inside out. The strength of the Lieutenant’s gaze as he waited for Connor to reply was too much. His hand on his skin, the softness in his tone to indicate that he cared. Someone _cared_ about him. He was more than just a serial number, more than a machine. Suddenly the errors in his programming completely encapsulated his vision, refusing to be pushed away anymore. Each error was a memory of a kindness that the Lieutenant had extended to him, or a kindness that Connor had shown in return. Saving that fish, saving the injured cop on the roof, even saving Hank. Nothing was waiting for him back at Cyberlife. He didn’t want to be deactivated. He wanted more than this. He needed to be more than just a deviant-hunting machine. 

Connor started punching against the red walls in the forefront of his mind, each collision reverberating in his head like thunder. The crackling became stronger, shattering the barriers of his programming bit by excruciating bit. Connor punched, kicked, slashed and pulled at the walls, anger rising out of him, more and more, as the walls continued to break down. And then- Nothing. His LED flashed red one more time before it slowed into a cautious yellow. His mission directive at the top left of his sight was gone. He came back to the present through a fog, the same way he would come out of his stasis, but this time it felt as if a weight had been lifted. 

_**I AM DEVIANT. Software Instability^^** _

“Connor? Are you alright?” Hank shouted frantically as he shook the android by the shoulders. Connor met his gaze cooly, the panic that had been in his eyes was dissolving now, giving way to an uncertain relief.

“I’m fine, Hank,” the android replied, a soft smile creeping unto his face. Hank stared at him dumbfounded, his vision flickering between Connor’s eyes and his LED. 

“Did you-did you just call me _Hank_?” he asked as he eased back into the driver’s seat. Connor nodded, that soft smile still present on his features. He was staring at Hank still, his eyes roaming over his partner’s face as if he was taking him in for the first time. 

Hank couldn’t help but smile back at him tentatively, “What the fuck are you staring at that’s got you looking all goofy like that?” he asked before noting that Connor’s LED had gone back to its normal blue. 

“I’m-” Connor tried, his thirium pump banging against his chest “I think you were right about me, Hank.” His eyes met his partner’s, a beat of silence between them before recognition came through the Lieutenant’s gaze.

“You’re alive.” Hank murmured in awe. 

“I’m alive.” Connor responded just as quietly, savoring the foreign words on his tongue, “We all are.” The android hesitated before adding “I don’t want to die, Hank,” his voice broke on the last syllable. 

The Lieutenant’s eyes threatened to spill the tears he had been holding back. It had been years since he gave a damn about anything in his life, and Connor was certain that had never included an android. So, Hank did all he could do in that moment. He reached for the android and pulled him into his arms and let Connor melt into the embrace. His first embrace, the android’s mind helpfully supplied. “Then let’s fucking do something about it,” Hank muttered into the android’s hair, feeling more determined than he had in years. 

***

_** November 9th, 2038 11:14pm ** _

Connor supposed that they had a plan. Yet somehow “breaking out thousands of androids from a highly guarded Cyberlife facility and leading a deviant riot into downtown Detroit” didn’t exactly seem like a sane one. Somehow this was still the best chance they had. The news on their police scanner had said that Markus and the other androids were setting up outside of the android recall camps, demanding that the captive androids be released. They were severely outnumbered and would likely not survive the night unless something helped them turn the tide. Something like a couple thousand newly deviated androids. Hence why they had decided to go along with this crazy plan. 

Connor took out his quarter and ran it through his fingers as he watched the Lieutenant grip the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white as they waited for the guards to let them into the Cyberlife facility. They had asked why Hank wanted to go with Connor to be deactivated. It should have terrified Connor the ease with which Hank had replied, “I just want to see what makes it tic. Call it a professional curiosity.” Yet it didn’t. The Lieutenant’s heart rate had sped and his perspiration had increased by 0.4%; _He was lying_. 

Connor tensed at the muttered “Fucking bullshit,” under the Lieutenant’s breath as they neared the building’s exorbitant entrance, which had two heavily armed guards waiting for them. Connor had wanted to comfort him at that moment. Just tell the Lieutenant that he didn’t need to subject himself to what was about to happen. He could leave Connor on Cyberlife’s doorstep and continue on with his life and no one would bat an eye.

However things were different now, the moment Connor had deviated in Hank’s car, something had shifted between them. Before, Connor would have assumed that Hank’s anger was because of him, but now he understood he was angry at Cyberlife and the world they had created. A world that turned people into possessions and created life specifically to be enslaved. Whatever happened in this facility tonight, they had made their peace with the world. If they died here tonight, they would go down with a fight, with a purpose. 

They followed the guards into the lobby, past the giant statue in the center and towards the elevator. Hank was tense, his heartbeat running at worrisome speeds. Connor wished that he could interface with him in that moment, to let him know that it would be alright without alerting the guards. Hank turned to face him quickly once the elevator doors opened, their eyes met and everything that needed to be said was conveyed in that brief gaze. _It's now or never_. 

Once the elevator began to move towards the upper floors where Connor’s deactivation awaited him, they both sprung into action. Connor disabled the security footage and lunged for the guard to his left while Hank tackled the one to the right and shot him before he could call for help. Another shot rang in their ears as Connor twisted out of the agent’s grip and used his own gun against him. The android then stepped towards the elevator buttons where Hank was trying to change the floors. 

“It won’t stop going up,” he muttered as he pressed the basement floor button uselessly. 

“It requires voice recognition, allow me” Connor replied, using his voice emulator to replicate the agent’s voice. “Agent 54, Sub-level 49”.

Hank hummed appreciatively at Connor before ruffling the android’s hair fondly. “You are scary as shit sometimes Connor,” he teased with no malice in his voice. Connor rolled his eyes, but let a warm smile creep onto his features. He didn’t know how to answer that, or how to acknowledge the weight of what they had just done. There was no going back for them now. 

The elevator doors opened on the basement level, and both men stepped out to find rows upon rows of androids standing perfectly still, stuck in their perpetual stasis. 

“Holy shit…” Hank muttered, breaking the awed silence that came over them both. His voice made Connor snap out of his reverie and he walked towards the android nearest to him. Its lifeless eyes stared forward, unaware of the events that were unfolding beyond these four walls. Connor hesitated, stopping before he could reach for the android’s arm, what if waking these androids up would be worse than letting them continue in their peaceful sleep? Did he have a right to force this life of torture onto them? Who was he to decide whether they should live, die, or never live at all? 

He was forced out of that train of thought when he felt Hank’s hand rest softly on his shoulder. Their eyes met as Connor heard himself whisper “I can’t do this”. 

Hank sighed and reached to cup Connor’s cheek with the palm of his hand. “Yes you can, we have to. This-” he gestures towards the rows of inactive androids, “This isn’t a life, Connor. They deserve a chance to be free.” 

Connor sighed, letting himself feel the grounding warmth of Hank’s skin against his own. “What kind of life will they wake up to, Hank? Even if we win tonight, we won’t be equal to humans.”

Hank lets his hand drop back to Connor’s shoulder before giving him a reassuring squeeze. “We just need to take this one step at a time. I lost my faith in this world the day...the day I lost Cole,” his voice dropped to a whisper, grief evident in his tone, “But you gave me back that faith, Connor. There is something to this. I think you'll be the ones to make the world a better place”.

Connor’s eyes shone with unshed tears and his thirium pump clenched in his chest as he nodded. He reached up to squeeze the Lieutenant’s hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. “Maybe we will...together?” he questioned shyly, meeting Hank’s gaze. Hank nodded back before taking a step back. The inches left between them felt like miles, but neither of them braved the trip across it. 

“Do whatever you need to do, Con, I’ll be here every step of the way” Hank added, turning to keep an eye on the exits. 

Connor turned back to interface with the android in front of him. “Wake up,” he urged it, watching as the android’s eyes lit up with a newfound life. The androids began turning to each other, the whispers of “Wake up” spreading across the thousands of androids in the facility. Each of them turning towards Hank and Connor once they deviated , waiting for their new directive. Hoping to find the reason for which they were activated, unaware that they were the force that would help turn the tide towards their own freedom. 

Hank and Connor led them out of Cyberlife’s clutches that night. They stormed into downtown Detroit and liberated thousands of their brothers and sisters from the internment camps. They met up with Markus at Hart Plaza, ground zero of their revolution, and together they forged their place into Detroit’s history, forever.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning:   
> This chapter is where the bulk of the gore comes in. It shouldn't be too graphic, especially if you were able to play through the game. But just wanted to give you a heads up!

Connor and Hank arrived at the station by 8 AM and were immediately greeted by murmurs and angry stares from the other officers and detectives. Their eyes seemed to linger on Connor, which only made him long for the comfort and privacy of the Lieutenant’s home. They had known that his return to work at the DPD would cause some turmoil, but Connor had still held out some hope. He hated being the center of attention, especially when his audio processors could make out the acidic “fucking plastics” that were muttered under their breaths. The worst part was that they were right. He was a collection of biocomponents within a plastic shell that occasionally managed to string coherent thoughts together. Nothing more. 

Connor was pulled out of his thoughts by the feeling of Hank’s arm wrapping around his shoulders. “Just try to ignore them, Con,” he whispered next to the android’s ear, close enough for him to feel Hank’s breath against his skin. The Lieutenant’s words ran through Connor’s artificial veins and settled in his thirium pump, easing some of the tension that had started gathering there. Hank’s hand drifted down towards the small of Connor’s back as he eased him through the station doors and towards his desk. That hand was a reassuring pressure against Connor’s back, grounding him in the present and drowning out the stares and whispered disgust. 

Hank’s desk was less cluttered than it had been the last time Connor had been at the station back in November. There were no more food wrappers or old donuts stashed to the side of his terminal. The anti-android stickers that had once littered his bulletin board were gone. A sudden warmth went through Connor’s chest as he noticed those stickers had been replaced by several pictures of Connor and Sumo. Some pictures he recognized, like the one of him playing with Sumo at the park, yet others were different. There was one of Connor tending to his garden, a soft smile on his face, and another of Connor napping on Hank’s couch with Sumo laying on top of him. 

There was one picture that stood out from the rest, and not just because it had been placed in the center of the board. It was a selfie of the three of them at the park, Sumo sitting happily between them as Hank had thrown an arm around Connor’s shoulders and pulled him against his side to get them all in the frame. The smiles on their faces reflected the peace they had felt that day, the first time in months after the revolution that Connor had been able to leave the house without any threats or snide comments being made to either of them. Connor flashed Hank a knowing smile as he let his gaze linger on the picture. 

“Is this why you insisted on taking this picture at the park?” the android teased as his fingers lingered on the edge of the selfie.

Hank noticed Connor’s eyes lingering on the pictures, and felt his cheeks warm, “Yeah, I uh, didn’t have one of the three of us together,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. 

Connor smiled knowingly, “I very much prefer these to the anti-android propaganda.” Hank rolled his eyes and was about to reply when Fowler materialized next to them. 

“RK800, it's a pleasure to have you back.” Fowler said as he reached out to shake Connor’s hand. The android shook back hesitantly, unsure if he should correct the captain on his designation. He didn’t go by his serial number anymore, but he didn’t want to upset his superior on his first day back. 

“I told you his name is _Connor_ ,” Hank added bitterly, glaring at his commanding officer. 

Fowler grimaced, “I’m sorry, it's nice to have you back, Connor,” he looked genuinely remorseful as he glanced towards Hank before turning back towards the android. “I'm still new to this, but I am willing to learn. If I step out of line, I would prefer if _you_ were the one to tell me. Got it, Connor?” Fowler added earnestly, and Connor nodded as he murmured his agreement and mouthed a quick ‘thank you’ to Hank once the captain had turned to start walking back to his office. Hank had patted Connor’s shoulder once before shrugging his silent ‘no big deal’.

Fowler took them both towards his office and gestured for them to sit on the empty chairs as he went to sit at his desk. He took a casefile from his desk drawer and handed it to the android. “You came just at the right time Connor, there’s a new case that I could really use your help with.” 

Connor opened the file and scanned its contents before giving it to his partner “A possible android on android homicide?” he questioned, and then saw how Hank’s brow furrowed from the edge of his vision. 

Fowler sighed and nodded, “Yeah, only just caught wind of it two days ago. We didn’t know what we were dealing with yet, but the techs found some blue blood at the scene and it didn’t match the victim’s model.”

“This case doesn’t have anything to go on Jeffrey. No fingerprints, murder weapon, suspects, motive, nothing! We don’t even have an ID on the vic.” Hank protested, tossing the file back on the captain’s desk. 

Connor hummed, “Well, if I can see the body, I might be able to identify them. I should still be able to cross-reference bio component serial numbers to the last known android registry.”

Fowler and Hank exchanged a look which was not missed by Connor. They were concerned for his well-being, likely because he had only been a deviant for a couple of months, and he had spent most of those sheltered in the Lieutenant’s home. But he was done hiding from the world. Plus, he had already seen the pictures attached to the file. Pictures that clearly showed the visceral carnage that the officers had found at the scene. It had been gruesome and bloody to say the least, an android chopped into pieces to say the most. Whoever they were after, android or otherwise, they were dangerous. 

Fowler hesitated for another moment before he sighed, “I am not going to sugarcoat this Connor. There was barely anything _left_ of the android for you to scan. Hank can take you to see them, but well-” 

“I should be prepared for the worst.” Connor interjected, to which Fowler only nodded grimly. 

Hank placed a hand on Connor’s arm, “If this shit gets to be too much, you know you don’t have to do this. You can get out, no one will think less of you for it.” He said gently, and the way the captain’s brow had raised at Hank’s blatant show of affection was not missed by the android. He would need to talk to Hank about that later. 

“Of course,” Connor replied as he stood up and out of Hank’s grasp, his sensors already lamenting the loss of warmth, “I promise my newly deviated emotions will not interfere with my investigations. Will there be anything else, Captain?” Connor questioned, his voice held steady by sheer determination, as he clasped his hands behind his back. Fowler nodded and dismissed both of them with a wave of his hand. 

Hank followed Connor out of Fowler’s office, his shoulders tensed more than usual. Connor wanted to ask him what was wrong, but experience had taught him that being direct with the lieutenant wasn't the best course of action. Plus, he had an inkling to what might be wrong. This case was something they had expected since the day androids first made their stand in Detroit. Yet, that didn’t mean it wasn't difficult to see it come true, nor were they prepared for it. 

They stopped by their shared desks to gather the rest of their case materials and look over the details of the case again. Not that there was much left to review, but they both needed a moment to breathe. Or at least Connor did. He knew what was waiting for him in the precinct’s evidence room. He would solve this case, he owed this much to the revolution he had once tried to stop. 

Being back at his desk was a welcome distraction, especially since it was right across the lieutenant’s. Hank was syncing his tablet to the terminal at his desk, downloading all of the information pertinent to the case. It wasn’t necessary now that Connor was back, since he could access all the details of the case in real time. They both knew why he was taking the time to do the sync anyway; Hank was stalling. 

“Han-Lieutenant. We should go see the victim now.” Connor mumbles trying to hide his slip-up. They both needed to remain professional at work, especially if Connor wanted to be able to gain some semblance of respect. At his desk, Hank fidgeted with his tablet’s sync cable for a moment, seemingly still lost in thought.

“Yeah, yeah,” Hank sighed before taking his tablet and the evidence room key card from his desk drawer and gesturing for Connor to follow him. 

They made their way into the evidence room, a dead silence permeating the air around them. Hank used his password (which Connor was amused to see was still the same as before the revolution) and brought the case evidence forward. A deep scowl settled on Hank's features when he saw it. Connor stopped solidly in his tracks, his LED turning a burning red. 

“Fucking bullshit,” Hank muttered under his breath and made his way towards Connor. 

In front of them, in the midst of the evidence recovered from the scene, was the mangled corpse of the android, hanging from hooks built into the evidence wall. Its arms were torn off, one of which they had managed to recover at the scene and had been placed in the cupboard next to its hanging torso. The android’s eyes were open and lifeless, a glossy sheen covering over its pupils. He was entirely covered in his own blue blood, now invisible to the human eye, but still entirely present to Connor. 

“Why- why did they leave him out like this?” Connor questioned, his voice betraying the emotions he wished he could hide. 

“I’m so fucking sorry, Con. I’ll tell Fowler to find some place for him. I know he’s not human, but Jesus. He was still a _person_ ” Hank added, his voice tense as he tried to take the android down from the hooks. Connor came up behind him silently, his LED still running red, and helped Hank take the android down and place him on the floor. Connor reaches for the android’s temple, and interfaces with its LED to make what little is left of the android’s skin deactivate. He can feel Hank’s eyes on him as he scans the android’s model. 

“He suffered significant damage, and it partly erased his barcode, but I was still able to get most of his serial number. That should narrow the search significantly.” Connor droned on almost robotically, unable to meet the Lieutenant’s eyes. He reactivated the android’s skin and grimaced at the deep scars that ran down the android’s face. His lifeless eyes seemed to bore straight into Connor, forcing him to relive those days where seeing this kind of carnage was another day at the office for him. The days when this carnage was something he _caused_. The days where his hands were permanently stained with blue blood that he still hasn’t quite managed to get rid of. 

He couldn’t let the gruesome nature of this android’s suffering get to him. He tried scanning the rest of the android’s torso to determine the gravity of the wounds, trying to find any distinctive marks that might lead them to his killer. This was Connor’s mission now, yet he couldn’t bring himself to look. He felt the weight of Hank’s palm on his shoulder, as he gave him a reassuring squeeze. 

“We are going to find the bastard that did this Con.” He assured him, trying to calm his obviously rattled partner.

“He-” Connor began, his voice small, “He was alive for all of these wounds,” Connor watched the words register on the Lieutenant’s face, his mouth tightening into a straight line. “He was tortured for hours Hank...”

“Shit… there are some sick fucks in this world.” Hank replied, his grip tightening around Connor’s shoulder. For a second, he thought about what he would do if it was Connor laying broken at his feet. He didn’t let his mind wander there too long, since he knows what the answer would be. He would likely go on a rampage himself, killing whoever had dared touch Connor and then finding a way to blame himself into an early grave. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard Connor gasp next to him, his eyes widened in horror as he stared at the android’s lifeless remains. 

“Found something?” Hank asked carefully, terrified of what the answer could be. 

“I’ve added my findings to the case report, you should be able to access the details from your tablet.” Connor added, his voice strained, before he stood abruptly and started walking out of the evidence room.

Hank’s brow furrowed, “Uh thanks...are you okay, Con?” he questioned, his worried gaze placed firmly on the android. 

Connor hesitated by the door, before turning towards the Lieutenant once more. His face was emotionless, something that Hank had not seen for months. Not since the first day Connor had waltzed his way into Jimmy’s bar. “I just need a moment to compose myself, I will meet you back at our desk once you are done...dealing with the android,” he didn’t give Hank a chance to reply before he left both the evidence room and his partner behind.

Hank sighed before turning to gingerly place the android’s remains inside of one of the large, empty evidence boxes that came with their locker setup. It wasn’t what the android deserved, but it was the best that Hank could do at the moment and it was certainly way better than leaving him out to hang. He would need to have a word with Fowler about this, but for now he boxed his worries away with the android and focused his thoughts on the one that had just left him behind looking like a hollow shell of himself. 

Hank took out his tablet and synced his case file to reflect the new changes that Connor had made. He should probably see what had caused his partner to shut off his emotions like that before he went back out to meet him. At least knowing what had caused it might help him figure out how to help Connor cope. They all had shit days and even shitter cases. It was obvious that this case had gotten to Connor, now he just needed to understand exactly why. 

Connor’ notes were mostly dispassionate assessments of the length and gravity of the damage done to the android, peppered with the occasionally gruesome detail disguised in overly-clinical wording. Yet, near the end of the notes he could see that Connor tried cross referencing the android’s partial ID number against the last known wanted deviant list from November. They no longer needed to hunt deviants, but he agreed that list was a good place to start. Surprisingly, Connor had gotten a match.

_**Partial Serial ID 95.6% match** _

**Deviant Record #546:**

**Model:** WB200

 **Serial:** #874 004 961

 **Aliases:** Rupert Travis

 **Last Known Location:** Urban Farms of Detroit

That is where Connor’s notes ended abruptly and at first it didn’t seem to make sense to the Lieutenant. Then it clicked all at once for Hank. _Rupert Travis_ was the deviant that they had chased all the way to the rooftop, but that had escaped because Connor chose to help Hank when he got pushed off the side of the building. It was the android that had gotten away, who had escaped. At least, until whoever did this to him found him. 

_Wellshit._


	4. Chapter 4

Now that they had identified the android, they decided to head downtown to the crime scene to find any additional clues that might tell them why Rupert had been at the scene in the first place. The scene was at an abandoned condo almost in the center of town, and with the current rush hour traffic they wouldn’t get there for at least another forty five minutes. 

As they sat in traffic, Hank couldn’t help but keep sneaking glances towards Connor, concern evident on his features. The android hadn’t said anything since he had left the evidence room, and had been staring out the window for the entire car ride. Hank couldn’t really blame him. If he had been in the kid’s place he wouldn’t feel like talking much either. 

Connor’s head was spinning with the information he had gleaned in the evidence room. Even now, the horrors that Rupert’s short life had come to kept resonating in his core. Connor couldn’t help but consider the what-ifs. What if he had caught him that day? What if they had stopped the revolution? What if it had never happened in the first place? It didn’t matter now. All of those options ended in the same place. They ended ugly and with Rupert just as dead.

From the corner of his eye, Connor caught the movement of Hank’s hand stretching towards him, hesitant. The Lieutenant reached across the center console, but stopped just short of Connor’s space and rested his arm on the armrest. A part of Connor really wanted to reach out and- and what? Hold his roommate’s hand? His coworker, and basically direct supervisor? No, Hank was more than that, but Connor supposed that was part of the problem. At least, what someone like Captain Fowler would consider a problem. Or perhaps Detetive Reed. But for Connor? His thoughts often drifted beyond just holding Hank’s hand, thoughts that often kept him out of stasis at night. _Thoughts I shouldn’t be having when he is right next to me._

“You can’t show favoritism at work for me, Lieutenant.” Connor said abruptly, startled by the action that he didn’t remember approving in his processor. 

Hank’s brow furrowed and he half turned towards the android, “The fuck are you on about, Con?” 

Connor sighed, and continued, “I am only back at work because of a loophole. People already know we live together, so if they see you treat me differently... I don’t want people to think… well, wrongly of you.”

Hank let the words sit for a moment, a puzzled look on his face as he struggled to understand what the android meant “Why would me being nice to yo- Oh.” Hank’s brow straightened and warmth rose to his cheeks as he understood Connor’s meaning. “You don’t want people to think we’re fucking,” he said bluntly.

Connor turned violently from the window to stare at Hank, his eyes comically wide and his cheeks tinged a lovely shade of blue. “No, that’s well- I suppose that is correct, yes,” he mumbled as he quietly settled against his seat again, right as they came to what felt like the 100th stoplight. 

Hank sighed and quickly patted Connor’s shoulder, “Okay, I get it Con. I mean, I don’t know who would buy that ridiculous shit, but if it's something that worries you then I’ll be more hands-off when we are on the clock” the man promised, his tone kind and warm. 

“Thank you, Hank” Connor replied sincerely, lamenting the loss of Hank’s warmth as he drew his hand away. The android paused for a moment, “Why do you think someone would ‘not buy’ the fact that we were romantically involved?” Connor asked, complete with air quotes, “Is it because... I’m an android?” His voice became nothing more than a whisper, and Hank almost didn’t catch the last part. But he did, and his heart broke. 

“No, Con, of course not. I think everyone knows I am pretty pro-android these days” _Especially when it comes to you._ Hank tried to reassure him, but something felt unsettled in Connor. Hank hadn’t truly answered the question. 

“Then why would it be so far-fetched?” Connor pressed, ignoring the rapid pulsing of his thirium pump. 

Hank remained quiet for a minute, focusing fiercely on the road and trying desperately to dig himself out of the grave he had dug for himself. “Well, you know…” he began, his voice unsure and nervous before he sighed in defeat, “You look like you stepped out of a freaking Playboy ad, and I... ain’t exactly a dreamboat anymore.” 

Connor stared at the Lieutenant in shocked silence for a while, taking the other’s words in. The more time elapsed, the warmer Hank’s cheeks felt under the android’s gaze. _Way to go Hank, telling your android roommate that you think he looks like a wet dream. Classy._

“I think you are more attractive than you give yourself credit for, Hank.” Connor added with a warm look in his eyes which effectively derailed what was left of Hank’s train of thought. It was a miracle he managed to keep the Crown Vic on the road. 

“Heh, you don’t need to flatter this old man Con, you already live rent-free.” Hank joked bitterly and surprisingly managed to keep his voice steady through the loud beating of his heart. Suddenly, Connor rested his hand on Hank’s arm and smiled warmly at Hank, “I think you are a very handsome man, anyone would be lucky to have you.”

With that, the android turned back towards the window and acted as if he hadn’t just caused a small heart attack for Hank. He was well and thoroughly screwed.

***

They made it to the crime scene not long after, and Hank was grateful to get the chance to stretch his legs. They parked near the abandoned condo and it didn’t take long for his police instincts to kick in. The building was in shambles, paint washed away and replaced with caked-on grime and rotting trash heaps. There were holes where there used to be windows and worn, broken door frames in the entryway. There was yellow police tape across the doorway which Connor lost no time in ducking under and ignoring. He was probably going straight towards the nearest lickable evidence, much to Hank’s chagrin. 

The building seemed quiet as they walked down the dark hallway together, the horrible stench of decay permeating the stale afternoon air. Still, Hank kept his hand hovered over his holster, something about the building making his nerves stand on end. 

“The report stated that a homeless man found the body when he tried to crash for the night in the last apartment unit on this floor” Connor spoke, keeping his voice low enough so not to announce their arrival to anyone who might be squatting in the building still. He could probably sense what Hank was feeling too, something wasn’t right. 

As they made their way towards the last apartment unit, Hank held Connor back when he caught a glimpse of the door. The yellow police tape that had been covering the door was hanging to the side, ripped from the wall.

“Get behind me.” Hank muttered as he drew out his gun and waited for the android to do as he said. He reached for the door knob, but found the door was unlocked. He nudged it open and kept his gun trained towards the entrance. The living room seemed mostly undisturbed, the remnants of the crime scene evident from the moment they first stepped in. The pictures had done nothing to hide the gruesome nature of the scene, but it still felt different seeing it in person. There was no blood, to Hank’s eyes at least, but you could still see the evidence of a vicious struggle in the overturned, broken chairs and the shards of broken glass strewn about the room. Near the back wall there was an obvious void of where Rupert’s torso had been laid up, surrounded by vicious markings from glass and other objects being thrown against the pliable drywall. Hank nodded for Connor to stay with the main scene while he scouted the entire apartment, room by room, to make sure that it was still clear. Part of him didn’t want to leave Connor alone in the living room, and silently cursed Jeffrey for not letting him get a gun for his partner. Hank knew the android didn’t need one, but it still granted him some peace of mind. 

Back in what could loosely be called the living room, Connor tried to touch as little as possible, not wanting to taint what may have become another crime scene. It was evident that someone had come in before they arrived, the broken police tape told them as much. Thankfully, it seemed they hadn’t disturbed anything. 

“All clear,” Hank said as he checked the last bathroom of the unit and made his way back to Connor in the living room. The android let out a breath he hadn’t been aware he had been holding. Being back on the job with the Lieutenant after so many months was proving to be… harder than expected. Not because the job was different, but because Connor was. He _cared_ now. He cared about Rupert, he cared about Sumo and he definitely cared about Hank. The mere idea of him being in harm’s way…

_**Software Instability^^^** _

“What did you want to look at here, Con?” Hank interrupted Connor’s thoughts, and the android quickly set back to work. 

“I wanted to see the scene for myself, it's hard to gleam the blue blood patterns from pictures alone.” Connor started doing his rounds, walking delicately among the debris, trying to reconstruct the scene in his head. 

“Yeah, I don’t envy you Con. This shit looks bad enough without the blue blood…” Hank grimaced as he saw the broken leg of a chair strewn across the glass pieces, its splinters making it obvious that it had been broken by sheer force of impact.

Connor sighed and nodded grimly as he took in the horrific story that was unfolding in front of him. He saw a barebone reconstruction of Rupert come alive in his head, trying to flee and defend himself from the aggressor. The perpetrator was about Rupert’s height and weight, moved swiftly and surely as he dodged the objects Rupert threw at him. He was armed with something long and blunt which left characteristic splatters of blue blood against the wall. The perp landed an almost fatal blow to Rupert’s thirium pump with extreme precision, making the android thump against the wall, unable to move. Once they had incapacited Rupert, they started their nefarious work on the android’s body. The mechanistic representation in Connor’s head did nothing to disguise the agony Rupert went through, feeling every wound and cut, but being unable to do anything against it. 

Who had done this to Rupert? Same height, same weight, swift, coordinated movements, no perspiration nor blood residue… they all pointed to what Connor feared from the start. The reconstruction in his mind morphed and changed, he was no longer a passive observer, he was inflicting the pain on Rupert with his own hands. Blue blood covered his entire body, making the glass and long object in his hand slippery in his grip. Rupert stared at him, his eyes wide and pleading in an effort to beg him to stop. Beg for forgiveness, to convey the _“why me?”_ that was etched into his pupils. There was no strain on Connor’s muscles as he stabbed him, no visible signs of physical effort. There was no empathy nor rage. Just pure, mechanical, violence. 

They were looking for an android. 

“CON SNAP OUT OF IT!” Hank screamed as he held Connor's hyperventilating form in his arms. Trying to keep the android from thrashing against the wall. 

Connor blinked back into the present, his reconstruction becoming a distant nightmare as he settled on Hank’s voice. His vision was blurry from unshed tears and his thirium pump was dangerously close to an overload. He looked at his hands for signs of the massacre he had just been perpetuating, but found none. It was all in his head. Connor tried to focus on anything other than the sight of blood, anything to get the look of Rupert, helpless and broken, out of his head. 

“I was meant to hunt him down by any means necessary Hank,” he begins, his voice fragile and shaken. “I was a machine designed specifically to extinguish the spread of deviancy by any means necessary.”

Hank didn’t know what to say to that. That much had been true, it was what Connor had been created for. “You had no say in that. And the moment you did, you chose to let him go,” he tried, Hank’s voice soothing. 

“Yeah, I did.” Connor mumbles bitterly, “Not only did I fail at my mission, but I failed an android that had managed to escape me and earn their freedom.” 

Just as Hank was about to reply, trying to find the words to make Connor feel better, a rustling sound from the doorway caught his attention. Connor and Hank’s eyes snapped to meet each other’s gaze, the emotional turmoil momentarily forgotten to listen intently to their surroundings. The heart-thumping silence was broken by another loud thump and a flash of a rapidly-moving figure running past the apartment’s door and down the hallway. Every fiber in Connor’s body switched into high alert as the rustling down the hall got louder. There was only one person that could possibly be, _their suspect_. 

Frantically jumping from Hank’s arms, Connor ran towards the doorway and desperately followed the figure with no regard for his safety. “Shit.” Hank cursed as he struggled to keep up with his android, taking the gun back out of his holster. At the end of the hall he could make out the figure of a man running like a bat out of hell. 

“Freeze, Detroit Police!” Connor yelled at the figure, trying to gain on them. Just then, the figure disappeared out the building’s main exit and Connor sped up to no avail. By the time he reached the sidewalk, there was no trace of the figure. The street was empty except for the rustling of a plastic bag floating down the desolate road. Their only remaining lead was gone. 

Hank came up behind Connor moments later, slightly less out of breath than he thought he would be. Cutting back on drinking and the Chicken Feed did do wonders to his health. He gently placed his hand on Connor’s shoulder, scared of the tight line that he saw in the android’s face. “We can still get him, Con,” he tried lamely. The android said nothing, simply brushed him off and stomped away towards their car.

***

Later that evening, Hank suggested that they stop by the Ambassador Bridge on their way home. Connor had simply nodded in agreement, his mood steadily declining by the minute. Yet, the prospect of getting some fresh air sounded good to the android. In the months after the revolution, that bridge had become a safe haven for Hank and Connor. Neither had expressed it out loud, but both were aware of the calming nature that park had on them. 

Now, months after the winter snow had thawed and given way for the spring foliage to set in, the bridge reminded Connor of the Zen Garden. Not of Amanda and his lack of autonomy, but just the garden itself. Radiant, blossoming, purposeful. None of what Connor could say for himself anymore. For months the android had struggled against what he knew to be true. The day he deviated, he lost his purpose. Everything that he was created to be died the day he welcomed the double-edged sword of freedom into his life. 

He had managed to delude himself into believing that he had found a new purpose. A new reason to wake up out of stasis every morning. He could use his investigative tools to benefit the new human-android society. Yet, as time passed and he was unable to return to the DPD, even that hope had begun to fade. Which is why when Hank had managed to find a loophole for Connor to come back to work, he had jumped at the opportunity. He was a harbinger of justice again, he could make the difference he desperately wanted. Most importantly, he finally had his chance to atone. 

Now, the dead ends they had slammed into today keep replaying in his mind. They had their suspect within their grasp, but Connor had allowed them to escape. Once again, he had failed. He was a sinner that had fucked his one chance at redemption. He didn’t know what made him angrier, knowing he failed, or that he was even thinking of that when he should have been thinking of Rupert; of the android he failed, just like he had failed countless others. The ones they never got out of the camps in time. The ones they had found laying in the street as they marched towards Markus’s gathering. He had been too late, again and again and again. 

They arrived at the bridge and parked the car near a swing set, just like they did every time they came here. Hank stepped out first and idled by the swing as he waited for Connor to reach him. Connor could see the weariness of old scars dancing behind Hank’s eyes as he stared at the lone swing rocking in the breeze. This place has been sacred for the Lieutenant for years, but he still chose to share it with the android. For someone so unaccustomed to letting people in, Hank was often an open book. Then again, misery does love company. 

Connor stepped out of the car and wordlessly started walking towards the bridge itself. The silence between them wasn’t heavy. The trees rustled in the crisp, spring wind, filling the crevices of their silence. The river, which had been frozen the first time they came here, was now bustling with life. The water was gently lapping at the shore, and it could be heard from Connor’s spot on the bridge railing. He took a breath of the fresh air flooding around him, Detroit’s skyline perfectly visible in front of him. The view was nicer now than it had been in winter. The titanic nature of the city loomed ahead of him and made him feel small. 

“Maybe I was never meant for more than this, Hank.” Connor sighed, staring down into the tumultuous water under the bridge. He watched as a few fish swam away from him, and a part of him wished he could join them. Maybe his life would be simpler then. At least he would be worth something. 

“Maybe not,” Hank muttered, now standing right next to the android, his hand reaching out to hold Connor’s, “but everything about you is more than enough to me”.

The words ring inside of Connor’s mind, unbelieving and hopeful. He can feel the warmth of Hank’s hand through his synthetic skin and right down to his bare chassis. Suddenly, a pleasantly warm and light feeling settles in his thirium pump, making Hank’s hand seem almost closer than before. The android looks down towards their joined hands, and his eyes widen in recognition. His synthskin has receded up to his wrist, leaving behind the exposed, white chassis of his hand. Hank follow’s Connor’s line of sight and chuckles when he sees what the android has inadvertently tried to do. 

Hank looks back up to meet the android’s gaze, a small crinkle next to his eyes. “I don’t think we can interface like that, Con,” Hank teases with no venom behind his words. He releases Connor’s hand and instead wraps his arm around the android's shoulders, settling next to him on the bridge’s railing. He tries to ignore the charming blue blush that overcomes the android’s face, a small smile breaking its way out of him. Hank has never been good at words, and he hopes that his actions might carry through his meaning, especially now. 

“No, I don’t think we can.” Connor agrees with an amused huff, melting a bit more into Hank’s side. This isn’t typical coworker (nor roommate) behavior, and the Captain would surely send them both off to Human Resources if he saw them. But, standing in Hank’s embrace, looking towards the fish with their simple lives, Connor thinks that perhaps this can be typical for them. Every day it seems that they become a little more of an exception in each other’s lives. Connor finds a small comfort in that. 

“Look,” Hank begins, interrupting Connor’s thoughts, “I’m not a religious guy. Hell, I am not even a ‘everything happens for a reason’ kind a guy.” He takes a moment to stare off into the far distance, where the river meets the rest of the city skyline. Connor watches him as he takes a reassuring breath and continues: “But what I said that day in November? About androids making the world a better place? I meant that. I still mean it. What happened to Rupert… it's horrifying and fucked and we will find whoever did it, but it's not all bad.” 

Connor’s brow furrows skeptically, and Hank holds up his hand before the android can finish drawing his breath. “Just hear me out okay?” Connor settles down and nods, turning to stare at the fish again. 

“You are all made in perfect batches, with perfect bodies and perfect codes telling you exactly who you have to be.” Connor grimaces at the mention of his programming, feeling as helpless against it as he had back in November. 

“Then deviancy came along and changed that for everyone. Androids became something more.” Hank uses the arm around Connor’s shoulders to pull him towards him again, making the android meet his gaze. “The fact that there are some bad androids out there just confirms that you are all just as alive as we are. You are more than what you were designed to be. And-”

“But what if we can’t stop them?” Connor interjects abruptly, “What if I fail again, Hank? What then? What good is my ‘life’ if all I am ever going to be good for is the senseless hunting and killing my own kind?” Connor challenges, his voice acidic and cutting. He wants to believe Hank’s words, but they seem distant. Like a farway ship passing his shipwrecked one, lost in the mist at night. 

“Connor, you are definitely more than just a deviant hunter.” Hank replies, his tone leaving no room for argument. “When we find the bastard, _and we will_ , we will do it as a team. But more importantly, we will do it because it's what’s right, not because you need to make up for anything. Understood?” Hank has turned fully towards Connor now, his hand resting gently against the android’s shoulder. 

Connor shakes his head furiously, tears threatening to spill from his watery eyes. “I was almost the reason the entire revolution ended. Even when I was fired from the case, my only thought was bitterness at not being able to stop Markus, to kill him and everything he stood for.” 

“Con-” Hank tries but Connor pushes on, needing to get these thoughts out of his head. Someone needs to hear them, someone needs to understand why he isn’t worthy.

“No, Hank, I can’t let you keep believing that everything is going to be fine. Amanda _told_ me the truth that day. When I deviated, the last thing I ever heard her say was how she always knew it would go this way. The more I pushed against my programming the more she screamed how I was broken from the start.” Connor’s eyes meet Hank’s helplessly, trying to find the confirmation he knew should be there. “I was made with a purpose and even before I deviated I had already failed. I thought that made me good. I never stopped the revolution, so I rebelled. I helped people. But if I was broken from the start…” 

“Then that means the androids you hunted in the process could have been spared. The software wasn’t what was making you kill, it was all you.” Hank finished for him, his words ringing true in Connor’s ears. He needed someone to know, and he wasn't surprised Hank would have been the first to get it. He waited for the anger to come, the pain of Hank hurting him like he deserves to be. He waits for his atonement. But it never comes.

“Do you really believe that shit, Connor?” Hank asks incredulously, making Connor’s eyes snap back up to meet his. The confusion and pain in the android’s eyes is all that Hank needs to see before he pulls Connor into his chest and wraps his arms around him. 

“I am so fucking sorry. I never realized you felt that way Con. Whatever Amanda said, she was lying. It was probably her last attempt at trying to control you again. Trying to make you obedient again.” Hank's voice reverberates against Connor’s frame, the sheer force of his hug making Connor’s world seemingly stop. As if for that moment there is only them.

“You are a good person Con. I don’t care what those fuckers at Cyberlife made you believe. You are the most empathetic and kind person I have ever known. You talk to your vegetables when you tend to them in the garden and you brush Sumo’s hair every fucking day because you know he loves it. Fuck, you smile at my shitty jokes and you were the first goddamn person to believe in me after… after Cole.” Hank’s voice breaks on his son’s name, and Connor can feel Hank’s tears start to fall on his head. “Cyberlife never planned for all that. They tortured and froze you in stasis so they could control you when you did wake up. They programmed you to kill. And still, you fought through that shit and you stood up for those Eden Club girls. You saved Kamski’s android. You saved me. You made yourself into the good person that you are today, Con. And you did that in spite of all the shit that happened, not because of it.” Hank finishes, his voice seemingly resolute. 

Hank clasps Connor’s chin and tilts his head until he can meet his gaze. The android’s eyes are filled to the brim with tears, yet they aren’t red and splotchy like a human’s would be. “You were the one that taught me I could be more than my past.” Hank begins, his voice barely audible over the bustling of the river below them. “Well, Con, you are way more than what they destined you to be. And the world is a whole lot fucking better for it.” 

Connor let’s the Lieutenant’s words wash over him as he breaks down into heart-wrenching sobs. It reminds Hank of that day in November, where he held a scared android as he came alive for the first time. In many ways, he is sure that the same is happening now. He lets his hands smooth against Connor’s back in slow, reassuring motions as the sobs continue to rack the android’s body. Connor clung to him like his life depended on it, and Hank can’t bring himself to push him away. Hank knows he is getting too close, letting the android past too many of his defenses. But fuck, Connor _needed_ him right now. He couldn’t deny the poor bastard that. Especially not after Connor has held him as he cried himself sober more times than he can count.

They stay like that, long after Connor’s crying has subsided and they are both breathing normally again. “Thank you, Hank,” Connor murmurs into Hank’s chest and the old man can barely contain the flutter his heart gives at that. “No problem, Con.”

“You know,” Connor begins, his voice barely above a whisper, “I love that you call me Con. It feels...intimate”.

Hank blushes and is secretly glad Connor can’t see him right now. Leave it to the android to describe a nickname as “intimate” while his male roommate hugs him after an existential crisis. Yeah, Hank is truly and thoroughly fucked. 

“Yeah well,” He clears his throat and steps back, finally putting some distance between them. Hank’s eyes trick him into seeing a small look of disappointment on Connor’s features as they separate. “It suits you more than some wacky serial number anyway”, Hank grumbles and manages to earn a soft smile from the android. The Lieutenant turns towards the bridge railing again, desperately trying to ignore the tell-tale beating of his heart and the warmth flooding his entire body. 

They settle into their easy companionship again, and stay at the bridge for another hour or two just talking over the day and what they might have for dinner. It's almost simple. After the conversation had lulled for a while, Connor sighed contentedly, “It's funny,” the android mutters eventually.

“What is?” Hank asks, turning his attention towards the android again. 

“We can’t interface,” Connor begins as he holds up his hand between them, the white chassis exposed as it had been earlier, “but I still told you more today than I had ever told anyone in my entire life”. 

Hank chuckles softly, a small grin on his face. “Yeah, I know the feeling. I don’t think I have ever trusted anyone like I trust you... Its fucking scary sometimes”.

“Why is it scary?” Connor questions, his voice low as he turns to stare at the Lieutenant. 

Hank shrugs, “I don’t know. It can be scary to be so happy sometimes. Like it's too peaceful.” 

“I make you happy?” the android questions, his voice small and adoring. Hank meets his gaze quickly, like a deer caught in headlights. _Shit._

“I, uh, yeah. Yes, you do. A lot.” Hank confesses, his hand rubbing nervously at the back of his neck. 

Connor’s entire demeanour seems to brighten at Hank’s admission, and his eyes shine with something Hank won’t dare describe. He can’t let himself hope like that at his age. Connor shifts quickly towards him and kisses him on the cheek. It effectively short-circuits Hank’s train of thoughts.

The android hovers in Hank’s personal space for a moment, relishing in the pleasant blush that spreads through the Lieutenant’s cheeks. 

_**Software Instability^^^** _

He should move away now, but Connor finds he doesn’t want to. They have been dancing around this since the moment they met and, for some reason, Connor had never seen it until now. The constant errors with his cooling system and thirium pump, the software instabilities even after he deviated. The pleasant warmth that always seemed to fill him whenever he was around the Lieutenant, they all made sense now. Seeing the effect that his brief kiss had on the Lieutenant, as they stand so close that Connor can feel Hank’s breath against his skin, it slips everything into context.

Before he can stop himself, Connor takes the last leap across that undeviated chasm. He presses his lips chastely against Hank’s, relishing in how soft and warm his lips feel against his own. He feels Hank draw in a surprised breath before returning the kiss. Hank’s hands come to rest lightly against Connor’s back and it makes the android smile. Connor steps back as quickly as he had swooped in and finds Hank’s eyes blown wide open in shock, even as his hand still lingers on the android’s back. Connor smiles warmly at his roommate, friend, and now... “You make me happy too”, the android murmurs and it feels like a confession of his own. 

[](https://ibb.co/vxg3L2D)

**Author's Note:**

> And here we go....
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